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Top Business Schools for Nonprofit Management 2018

FIND MBA

A growing number of business students are looking for more than just a big salary; instead they are looking to create change by working in nonprofits, non-governmental organizations, and social enterprises. An MBA can help students apply core business principles (like strategy, finance, and marketing) to these organizations, so they can effectively drive social impact. Students can also choose to pair their MBA with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) or a Master of Public Policy (MPP) through dual-degree offerings.

McDonough’s Global Social Enterprise Initiative is a nexus for research and events relevant to the nonprofit sector. Besides the school’s MBA program, Georgetown also offers a nonprofit management program called “New Strategies” aimed to help senior nonprofit managers excel in their roles. Some seven percent of the MBA class of 2017 went into the nonprofit sector.

Stanford MBA students interested in nonprofit management can pursue the school’s Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation. And the cost of the MBA shouldn’t discourage students from doing good: Stanford has instituted an MBA loan forgiveness scheme for some graduates going into the nonprofit or public sectors.

Weatherhead's Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, launched in 2002, serves as a hub for MBAs looking to work in not-for-profits and other mission-oriented organizations. Eight percent of the school’s MBA class of 2015 went into nonprofits, the highest percentage of any school surveyed by FIND MBA in that year. This number was five percent for the MBA class of 2017. In partnership with the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Weatherhead also offers an Executive MBA Nonprofit Certificate.

Students interested in managing nonprofits can use Oxford's Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship as a hub for making connections and finding resources. The center can also help students tailor their experiential projects to focus on social innovation. The school also offers a selection of social entrepreneurship electives.

Although the school does not offer an MBA in Nonprofit per se, interested students can pursue the MBA specialization in Public Policy & Management, which covers relevant topics. Six percent of the MBA class of 2016 went into nonprofits, one of the highest rates of all Canadian business schools surveyed by FIND MBA.

Through a range of unique curriculum—such as classes in "Grant Writing and Management" and "Public Service Communication"—the school's specialized MBA degree in nonprofit prepares students for a career in this field. Suffolk also offers an MPA degree in nonprofit management.

Geneva, a hub for international organizations and NGO activity, is a magnet for those seeking a career in the nonprofit sector. The school offers a specialized “International Organizations MBA” that examines management of intergovernmental, public and nonprofit organizations.

Students interested in delving deep into nonprofit management can pursue the school’s Public & Nonprofit Management MBA program. Four percent of Questrom’s MBA class of 2017 went into the nonprofit sector.

In any given year, some five to ten percent of graduates go into the nonprofit sector. In the past, students have been recruited by nonprofit organizations like AmeriCare, the Nature Conservancy, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

With the “Heller MBA in Nonprofit Management,” Brandeis is one of only a handful of schools to offer a specialized MBA in this field. The program's curriculum is designed to look at management through a nonprofit lens, with a specific focus on “the triple bottom line” (people, planet, profit). Grads go on to do fulfilling work in organizations like the Peace Corps and the AIDS Action Committee.